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Aquia Landing is recognized as an important link in the Underground Railroad Date published: 6/8/2009
BY JONAS BEALS Aquia Landing has been added to the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, a program maintained by the National Park Service. Aquia Landing is the second such site in Stafford County, joining the Moncure Conway House in Falmouth. The designation recognizes the role the site played in helping slaves reach freedom. It is now a public park on the Potomac River, but in the middle of the 19th century, Aquia Landing was a bustling transportation and shipping hub, linking Fredericksburg and Richmond with Washington via rail and steamship. It would become a pivotal supply link for the Union army during the Civil War. Perhaps most importantly, it was a doorway to freedom for countless escaping slaves heading north. Norman Schools, who owns the Moncure Conway House, made the suggestion to submit Aquia Landing to the program. He thinks the designation will bring more interest to the area and shed new light on the struggle for freedom. "The African-American story is so involved here in Stafford," he said. One story that stands out is that of Henry "Box" Brown, a Richmond slave who shipped himself to Philadelphia in a dry-goods box. On his way north, he was transferred from a rail car to a steamship at Aquia Landing. When Union troops occupied Stafford and Fredericksburg in the spring of 1862, an estimated 10,000 slaves fled north to freedom. It is likely that many of them passed through Aquia Landing. Supervisor Paul Milde recognized the importance of earning the designation, and urged county staff to pursue it. The county hired tourism consultant Megan Orient to complete the application. "My research gave me a much broader picture of what was going on there at the time," Orient said. "It was like playing Nancy Drew. I would encourage anyone interested in history to do some research of their own. I hope [the designation] brings people interested in tracing their heritage and their legacy." Milde agrees, and is proud to have the site in his district. "It's good to see Aquia Landing get the recognition it deserves," he said. "It's not just a great historic site because of the Civil War, but because of the Underground Railroad." Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
An underground railroad museum or visitor's center for Aquia would be a good tourist idea.
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